It’s the first day of Fall! This could be any road where I grew up… gorgeous!

So I’m lounging around yesterday afternoon in my undies at my computer, talking to my mom online, a glass of Nestea at my side (I love this stuff… I drink it all the time, then tell my trainer I’m drinking “water with lemon”. What? I squeeze fresh lemon into it, and it’s made with WATERandpowder, so technically I’m just omitting that it’s full of sugar), and my dogs being perfectly quiet on their loveseat. Is that sad, that we’ve basically let the dogs take over the loveseat? They have their own down comforter and wool sweater. We actually bought the sweater for Chris and he, being the way he is, tossed it on top of the couch when we got it home — then as soon as we turned our backs, Buffy pulled it off the couch and made it HER SWEATER WHICH NO ONE CAN TOUCH.

That reminds me of this cute video I took of Buffy & Joss fighting when Buffy got her head stuck in a hole in her sweater (sorry about the crappy lighting):

ANYHOW, I’m sitting at my computer. The phone rings. It’s not a long-distance ring, which means it isn’t Chris; the name on Caller ID is “Janet” something. I answer, and turns out this Janet is a member of my city’s Welcome Wagon — she’s in the area, she heard I just moved in (who told her?), and would I like her to stop by? I’m hesitant; then she mentions that she has free stuff from local businesses, and I tell her SURE! COME SEE ME!

The next ten minutes are filled with frantic straightening up (thank goodness I swept & mopped yesterday) and a distraught stare at my sink full of dirty dishes. Usually I do the dishes before I go to bed, but yesterday I cut the pad of my thumb on the lid of bottle of olive oil (no, seriously… second time I’ve done this) and it stung too damned much for me to fuck with hot soapy water.

But check it out, I got some sweet stuff from this lady:

– 2 toothbrushes from local dentists; the third gave me some floss

– a free haircut at a local stylist (score! remember how I was telling you I wanted to get bangs, mom?)

– $15 gift certificate to a spa, which I will totally put towards that pedicure I’ve been wanting

– free appetizer at one restaurant, free lunch at another

– free oil change & a keychain from a Ford dealership

– pampering session (aka sales pitch) from a Mary Kay dealer

– 2 pens from various financial firms

– notepad from a private school (or I guess an “independent school”) where tuition is $12000 a year
But most pleasing to me was the tidbit of information that there is a farmer’s market at one of the local malls three days a week. Sadly, it only runs through the end of September, but that doesn’t mean I won’t make out like a bandit this coming week when my darling husband and I get there FIRST THING IN THE MORNING to pick out all the good stuff. And, I got a map of all the “pick your own produce” farms in the county, which I am totally thrilled about (although I will point out that http://www.pickyourown.org is an excellent resource for this as well).

I love this city so much more than where we used to live. I mean seriously, a Welcome Wagon? Most importantly, SHE ASKED ME if I was expecting, with an understanding gesture towards my little baby bump. I could have cried and hugged her. Then I told her yes, then she told me that they do a “Baby Shower” Welcome Wagon to welcome my baby to the community too.

How adorable is that?

On a more solemn note — I love you dearly, Nana, and I will always miss you; all of my memories of you are inspiring and warm. May you rest in peace.